(April 8, 2016) – The Boston Breakers are pleased to announce the acceptance of its Boston Breakers Academy youth teams into the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), starting Fall 2016.

“In the Boston Breakers being accepted into the ECNL, this creates a new and exciting environment for player development within our club structure. We now can offer the highest competitive level of youth female soccer available in the country. Players in the developmental pyramid within the Boston Breakers Academy ECNL will now be provided an unequalled pathway for serious youth soccer players in New England.” said Lee Billiard, general manager of the Boston Breakers.

"It is a testament to the U.S. women's soccer model to see that the developmental pyramid created by the Boston Breakers provides a pathway from all the way to the junior developmental level to the professional level. The strides the Boston Breakers and the Boston Breakers Academy are making to find the most competitive environment for players will serve to elevate the game at the local, regional, and national level,” said Tom Durkin, technical director BBA and USSF national staff instructor.

The Boston Breakers are one of two organizations in the country with a full development pyramid leading up to the professional level.

“The development of youth players in our program is very important to us.

Now, with the ability to provide a league boasting the highest competitive level of youth female soccer in the country to our development pyramid leading up to our professional team, is an incredible step forward in our commitment to youth and developing the next generation of Boston Breakers professional players” said Billiard.

The Boston Breakers Academy will be holding ECNL tryouts in June to field teams for 2016/17 ECNL teams. Specific details including dates and locations will be announced soon on the Boston Breakers Academy website. For more information email academy@bostonbreakers.com or visit www.bostonbreakersacademy.com.

ABOUT ECNL - The Elite Clubs National League, Inc. (“ECNL”) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit member-based organization founded in 2009 with the mission to improve the daily environment of elite female youth soccer players in the United States. In executing this mission, the league has created the top female youth club competition in the world, player identification and development programs across the country, player health, education and performance platforms online and at ECNL events nationally, and club development and coaching education programs with experts from around the globe. In 6 years of existence the ECNL has become the top youth female youth development platform in the world, the most heavily scouted platform for college soccer, and players developed by ECNL clubs now constitute 80-90% of the total US Soccer Youth National Team player pool. For more information on ECNL go to: www.eliteclubsnationalleague.com.